School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics ...

64 Pages·2017·1.15 MB·English

by  Richard James Cruise

School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences
Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics
Undergraduate Students’ Guide
Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Campus
2017/2018

PART A: PROGRAMME INFORMATION

1 WELCOME & INTRODUCTION 2
2 SUMMARY OF KEY INFORMATION 4
3 PROGRAMME STRUCTURES 15
4 ACTUARIAL EXEMPTIONS 24
5 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS 28

APPENDIX A: AMS CODE OF PRACTICE 52
APPENDIX B: STUDENT GUIDE TO PLAGIARISM  54

PART B: UNIVERSITY INFORMATION

1 OUR VALUES 60
2 STUDENT LEARNING CODE OF PRACTICE 60
3 UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND SUPPORT 60
4 YOUR STUDENT PORTAL 61
5 QUICK FINDER GUIDE TO ACADEMIC AND SUPPORT SERVICES 61
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PART A: PROGRAMME INFORMATION

1 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

1.1 Welcome

I am delighted to welcome you as students on behalf of all staff in the Department of
Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics at Heriot-Watt University.

The Department of Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics is internationally renowned for
teaching and research in these areas, and it was among the first universities in the UK to
offer degree programmes in Actuarial Science. I would like to encourage you to explore the
opportunities we offer. There are opportunities to spend a year abroad in Canada or
Australia or on our campus in Malaysia. There are also opportunities to spend a year on an
industrial placement. On your home campus, there are ample opportunities to attend talks
and seminars including the annual conference and other events organised by the Students'
Actuarial Society.

Once again we are delighted to welcome you as our students, and I very much hope the
academic year ahead will be successful, inspiring, and enjoyable for you.

Dr Anke Wiese
Head of Department

1.2 Introduction

This guide provides a reference to degree programme structures and other departmental
information for students on Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics (AMS) degrees. This guide
is intended as a summary of AMS Programme Structures, but note that the University
Regulations and Programme Structures take precedence in case of any discrepancy
between them and the guide.

Information concerning examination timetables, University regulations and other general
information can be found on the Academic Registry website at www.hw.ac.uk/registry.
Further sources of information are the MACS web site at www.macs.hw.ac.uk/students and
the MACS Organisation section on VISION (see Section 2.5.5).

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1.3 Programmes Offered

The following undergraduate programmes are offered:

 F723 BSc in Actuarial Science

 F712 BSc in Actuarial Science and Diploma in Industrial Training 1

 F706 BSc in Actuarial Science and Diploma in Industrial Training 2
(F706 is restricted to a specific placement offered by PwC)

 F771 BSc in Financial Mathematics

 F713 BSc in Statistical Modelling

The degrees may be awarded at honours or ordinary level. Study for an honours
degree usually takes four years, and for an ordinary degree, three years. For the
programmes that include industrial training, study lasts an additional year because of
the year-long work placement.

All the degrees are designed to make it easy in most cases to transfer from one to
another during the first two years. In addition, the Heriot-Watt course scheme is
compliant with the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). This makes
credit transfers between Scottish universities easier.
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2 KEY INFORMATION

2.1 Key Contacts

Professor Beatrice Pelloni is the Head of the School of Mathematical and Computer
Sciences, and Dr Anke Wiese is the Head of the Department of Actuarial and Mathematical
Statistics. They are supported by year level Directors of Studies and an experienced team
of academic staff.

Directors of Studies 2016/17

First Year Dr James Cruise [email protected]

Second Year Andrea Sneddon [email protected]

Third Year Dr Torsten Kleinow [email protected]

Fourth Year John Phillips [email protected]

2.2 Academic Staff

Students are encouraged to contact directly any member of staff whose lectures they have
attended if further help or advice is needed. Staff can also be contacted through the MACS
School Office (EM 1.25).

The AMS academic staff for 2017-18 are listed below, together with their offices and
telephone extensions (prefix by 451 if calling from outside). E-mail addresses for staff
consist of the initials and surname followed by @hw:ac:uk (e.g. [email protected]).

Email and telephone contact details for all other Heriot-Watt University staff (and students
as well) can be found by using the ‘People Finder’ option on the menu bar of the
University‘s homepage http://www.hw.ac.uk/.

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Name Room Extension
Professor A.J.G. Cairns CM S.08 3245
Professor D. Clancy CM S.02 3208
Dr R. Cruise (1st year Director of Studies) CM T.27 3741
Dr F. Daly CM G.06 3212
Dr C. Donnelly CM G.04 3251
Dr M. Fahrenwaldt CM F.13 3664
Professor S. Foss CM G.07 3238
Professor G. J. Gibson CM G.18 3205
Professor J. Hansen CM S.05 3213
Dr T.C. Johnson CM G.05 8343
Dr T. Kleinow (3rd year Director of Studies) CM F.11 3252
Professor A.S. Macdonald CM T.04 3209
Dr. M. Pereyra CM T.17 3211
Mr J. Phillips (4th year Director of Studies) CM S.06 4376
Mr G.G. Reid (Exemptions Officer) CM F.09 3075
Mr P. Ridges CM F.13 3906
Dr V. Shneer CM S.07 3902
Ms A.E. Sneddon (2nd year Director of Studies) CM S.10 3226
Mr A.D. Stott CM T.12 3937
Dr G. Streftaris CM S.15 3679
Dr A. Wiese (Head of Department) CM T.13 3717

2.3 Administrative Staff

The Programmes are supported through the School Office. Staff in the office can help with
administrative information and procedures such as registration issues, changes of address
and many other issues.

Location: EM1.25
Phone: [phone]
Email: [email protected]

Updating personal information, such as a change of address, is done through the Student
Self Service portal: (http://www.hw.ac.uk/selfservice).
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2.4 Significant Dates in the Academic Year

HWU Edinburgh Campus session dates for 2017/2018

Dates Activity
11 September 2017 – 1 December 2017 Semester 1
4 December 2017 – 15 December 2017 Semester 1 exams
19 December 2017 – 5 January 2018 Semester 1 break
8 January 2018 – 29 March 2018 Semester 2
30 March 2018 – 20 April 2018 Semester 2 break
23 April 2018 – 18 May 2018 Semester 2 exams
21 May 2018 – 10 September 2018 Summer break
2 August 2018 – 10 August 2018 Resits

Please refer to the University's websites at http://www.hw.ac.uk/ and
http://www.hw.ac.uk/edinburgh.htm which contain detailed information about Heriot-
Watt University and the Edinburgh Campus.

2.5. Communications

2.5.1 Contact Details

It is essential that the School and the University are kept informed of any changes to
students’ contact details, particularly term-time and home addresses. It is the responsibility
of the student to ensure that the University has the most up to date contact information.

Please inform the University of any changes to personal details to ensure that we hold up-
to-date records.

If you wish to change your address, please login to Student Self Service
(http://www.hw.ac.uk/selfservice).

If you require your name to be changed, please inform the Student Service Centre and
provide the appropriate paperwork.

Please note that letters from the University are automatically sent to students’ term
addresses as recorded on the student record system, so it is particularly important to
ensure address details are kept up to date.
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2.5.2 Mail & Notices

Mail (internal and external) for students is delivered to pigeon-holes inside the MACS office
(EM1.25). Check yours regularly. Various announcements and notices are posted on
VISION (see Section 2.5.5).

2.5.3 Lockers

Lockers are allocated for the duration of each academic year on a first-come, first-served
basis. Keys for lockers in the EM Building are available from Mr A. Houstin (EM1.31) for a
deposit of £10.

2.5.4 E-mail

New students will be issued with instructions on how to set up their e-mail account during
enrolment.

Returning students will have continued access to their e-mail.

Please note that students’ Heriot-Watt e-mail addresses are used by academic and
administrative staff to send important information throughout the year.

Staff will only use official Heriot Watt e-mail addresses when writing to their students.

Students are expected to check your e-mail regularly (at least once a day) and to ensure
that your in-box is regularly cleared.

More information regarding Heriot-Watt’s I.T. facilities and regulations can be found at:
http://www.hw.ac.uk/is/.

2.5.5 VISION

Heriot Watt University has a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called VISION. Each of
your courses will have a space on the VLE and your lecturers will use this space to post
class materials, such as reading lists, details of assignments or announcements of revision
sessions. You may also be required to use VISION to upload your work through Turnitin, a
plagiarism detection programme which is in regular use by the Schools. Many courses will
also include online assessment which is accessed and submitted through VISION.

Other important information, such as the AMS Code of Practice, can be found in the MACS
Organisation section of VISION.

Once you have registered and have your username and password, you can access VISION
here: http://vision.hw.ac.uk/.

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2.5.6 Computing Facilities

All AMS students are issued with accounts on the Universirty Desktop Service. For details
of computer labs and availability see www.hw.ac.uk/schools/mathematical-computer-
sciences/about/facilities.htm. Students are expected to use the computer facilities in an
appropriate and considerate way. Abuse of the facilities is subject to various disciplinary
measures, ranging from a ban on access to the facilities to, in extreme and flagrant cases,
expulsion from the University. Examples of abuse include monopolising a terminal for non-
academic related purposes, running excessively long or inappropriate print jobs, and
displaying, circulating or printing offensive material on or from the Internet. Computer
games and relay chat are specifically forbidden. Further information on policy regarding the
abuse of computer facilities is available from Information Technology (IT)
https://www.hw.ac.uk/documents/it-communications-facilities-acceptable-use.pdf.

2.5.7 Changes to Registration

Students should make any changes to course or degree registration through the relevant
Director of Studies (see Section 2.1). Any changes must be made before the end of week 3
of semester, or a fee will be incurred. Forms can be obtained from the MACS Office
(EM1.25) or http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/macshome/forms.htm.

2.5.8 Staff-Student Committee

The Staff-Student Committee provides an additional channel of communication between
staff and students within the AMS department. It consists of the School Officer, the
Directors of Study, the President of the Students' Actuarial Society and two student
representatives from each of the four undergraduate years. Student representatives are
elected annually.

The committee meets once or twice each semester. One of its major functions is to
consider any concerns about current lecture courses, including teaching quality, and to take
appropriate action for their resolution. Other matters of interest, such as the provision of
computing facilities or the timing of lectures, may be discussed. Minutes of the meetings
are available on VISION.

2.5.9 Course Evaluation

At the end of each course you take you will be asked to complete a course evaluation
questionnaire, normally through VISION. Your views are important to us and the information
gathered from these evaluations is analysed by the University and the resulting information
is then fed into an annual review of the programme.

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2.5.10 Feedback

Feedback is a two-way process. Feedback is provided to students in a variety of ways in
order to help you to reflect on and to evaluate your progress and to assist you to take steps
to improve before the next relevant assessment. For most courses, students can expect
feedback on assessed coursework within three teaching weeks of the coursework due date.
Feedback is sought from students via Student-Staff Liaison Committees and various
surveys so that the School can continue to enhance the student learning experience. Your
feedback is valued by the School, so please be sure to provide feedback whenever it is
sought.

2.6 Personal Tutors

Each student studying an Undergraduate Programme will be assigned to a member of the
academic staff (the personal tutor) who can be consulted on all aspects of the University.

You will normally retain the same personal tutor as long as you are registered on an AMS
degree. The personal tutor is your main academic link with the University. Under certain
circumstances, with the permission of the Head of AMS, it may be possible to change your
personal tutor.

2.6.1 Regular Meetings

It is important that you see your personal tutor regularly. These meetings are particularly
important for monitoring academic progress in the first and second years. All students must
see their personal tutor at the start of Semester 1 and early in Semester 2. In addition, first
and second year students must see their personal tutor in week 7 of Semester 1 and week
8 of Semester 2 and third year direct entrants must see their personal tutor in week 7 of
Semester 1. Staff often arrange meetings via e-mail, or post notices on their office doors. It
is your responsibility to find out what arrangements have been made. Remember to check
your e-mail regularly.

2.6.2 Help and Advice

Every year a few students run into serious personal difficulties (e.g. family illness,
accommodation, financial, etc.). As well as being generally supportive, your personal tutor
can help in a number of practical ways. For example, if you are prevented from completing
project work or sitting exams, your personal tutor can sometimes help with re-scheduling or
making alternative arrangements for assessment. However, you must notify your personal
tutor as soon as possible, or there is very little that can be done. This is particularly
important if the difficulty affects your sitting Level 9 or 10 honours papers, as once taken
there are no resits allowed for honours papers. Also, it is essential to submit a Mitigating
Circumstances Form (see Section 2.7.2 Notification of Mitigating Circumstances).

With other problems, your personal tutor can put you in touch with the appropriate
University support service (Chaplaincy, Medical Centre, Student Welfare Services or
Student Union). Personal tutors are there to help; do not hesitate to contact yours if you
need help.
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2.6.3 Temporary Suspension of Studies

In certain situations it may be in your best interests to suspend your studies temporarily. It
sometimes helps to take time out to deal with issues that are stopping you studying
effectively – this might be a health or personal issue – and return to University at an agreed
date. A Temporary Suspension of Studies (TSS) is when a student stops studying at the
university for an extended period of time (usually no longer than one academic year), and
then returns to resume their studies.

For further information see
https://www.hw.ac.uk/students/studies/leaving/temporary-suspension-studies.htm.

If you are considering applying for a suspension of studies you should contact your personal
tutor or director of studies to discuss this with them.

2.7 Attendance

2.7.1 Requirements
In order to achieve course and programme learning outcomes, students are expected to
attend all scheduled course learning sessions (e.g. timetabled lectures, tutorials, lab
sessions, etc).
Students who fail to satisfy course attendance requirements may, after due warning, be
disallowed from presenting themselves for examination in the course (see
https://www.hw.ac.uk/students/doc/compulsorywithdrawal.pdf)

2.7.2 Mitigating Circumstances
Should you have to miss a timetabled session due to ill health or other legitimate reasons,
or there are any circumstances which could adversely affect your examination performance,
it is very important that you notify your personal tutor as soon as possible.
You should also submit an application for consideration of Mitigating Circumstances (see
https://www.hw.ac.uk/students/studies/examinations/mitigating-circumstances.htm),
together with any supporting documents (e.g. medical certificates) to the MACS School
Office (EM1.25).
The Examiners will always take such circumstances into account where appropriate, but the
later the notification, the less scope there is to do so. In particular, notification should be as
soon as possible after the mitigating circumstances have arisen, and certainly no later than
the Examiners Meeting (usually at the end of the assessment period, or mid-August in the
case of re-sits). Late notification will mean that either no account can be taken, or that
formal procedures have to be invoked. In the latter case, final year students will not be
permitted to graduate until these procedures have been completed. For further details, see
the MACS Handbook and the University Regulations.

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